European Resuscitation Council Congress 2011

Following on from the success of the 10th European Resuscitation Council (ERC) Congress in Porto in 2010 and the Scientific Symposium in Cologne in 2009, the 2011 Symposium in Malta focused on the theme of Implementation. Specifically, this related to the 3rd domain of the Utstein Formula of Survival.

Local implementation could save 100,000 people a year

Opening the Symposium, the current Chairman of the ERC, Dr Bernd Bottiger, outlined the number of delegates attending (approximately 500) from over 30 Countries. From Iceland in the North to Malta in the South and Russia in the East to Ireland in the West. Dr Bottiger went on to stress the importance of local implementation suggesting that if efficiently carried out, this could potentially help save 100,000 people a year. Dr Mary Rose Cassar, the local chair of the Maltese Resuscitation Council, also opened the Symposium stating that successful implentation was 1% talent, 99% endurance.

Could the implementation go faster?

Dr Jas Soar (Chairman of the UK Resusciatation Council, right) presented progress with regard to implementing the Guidelines introduced in 2010. When asked for a 'wish' as to how the Guidelines could be implemented more widely in Europe, he stated that raising it's profile with the media and CPR training in schools would be his goals. Professor Koen Monsieurs then outlined the growth of ERC courses which are now being run in 28 countries in Europe. He also stated a wish to see school children learning CPR in schools.

Implementing CPR Training in Schools

Dr Freddy Lippert presented on this theme later on the first day of the Symposium and his experience with successful programmes in Denmark. He stated that 35,000 Mini Anne manikins have been distributed to 7th Grade School Children in Denmark and believed that these children had then gone on to use the kit at home to help 'instruct' their family members thereby achieving a multipliar effect of 2.5. The Teachers, originally considered a barrier to the initiative, were also now positive with 91% stating that they felt good/very good about helping carry out this initiative.

Improving the Quality of CPR

Professor Gavin Perkins (left) presented on the 2nd day of the Symposium about devices which aim to improve the quality of CPR and which could help increase the incidence of bystander CPR by offering reassurance to the bystander. A number of technologies were presented ranging from novel applications of the iPhone to sophisticated applications on defibrillators (Q-CPR). He concluded that these devices were useful for training as well as in real life emergencies. They have been shown to improve performance and allow an improvement of the audit of the CPR performed to be used for improving training and debriefing after the real life event.

Building up an European Registry of Cardiac Arrest: EuReCa

In many European countries, events of cardiac arrest and CPR are collected according to Utstein definitions in regional or national resuscitation registries. The ERC has now taken the build up of an European Registry. Data from 5 registries representing 21,5 million of the total European population are now collected. The data show a more than 3-fold difference in the rate of bystander among the participating registries, which may reflect real differences in education and implementation. Sweden is standing out both because they have had a national registrar in over 15 years and because they have achieved bystander CPR at good 60%. EuReCa participants will prepare local recommendation for future training and recommendation.

Young Investigators Award

The Young Investigator Award was given to Anne Møller Nielsen (left) for her presentation on “engaging a whole community in resuscitation” or the Bornholm project. Bornholm is a community and an Island with 42000 inhabitants. By training the whole community in CPR supported by media bystander CPR increased from 22 to 74% and survival rates from 0 to 18%. 10.000 Mini Anne and about 100 AEDs was deployed. Further improvements is expected.

Better out-of-hospital CPR

The next Chair of the ERC (Dr Maaret Castren) presented during the closing plenary session. She considered the future for CPR out of hospital. She stipulated the need for a 'back to basics' approach with emphasis on good compressions but also the need for simulation to help with leadership skills, team work as well as team briefing and de-briefing. Dr Mary Rose Cassar also presented in the closing session and impressively highlighted how far Malta has come since the first ERC course was run in early 2006. Bernt Bottiger closed the Symposium outlining the ERC Strategic Plan until 2013. Many of the goals set have already been achieved but he concluded that one of his key wishes for the future was the ERC helping to co-ordinate a European movement for implementing CPR education in schools. The 2012 ERC congress will be in Vienna in October.

The Laerdal stand displayed the Resusci Anne SkillReporter with a new Wireless Upgrade Kit. The manikin has Quality CPR feedback technology allowing students to improve their CPR skills objectively. The wireless nature of this new upgrade also allows instructors to monitor multiple manikins in a CPR class from a single PC. This technology was also incorporated in another manikin on the Laerdal stand which was used as part of a CPR 'challenge' competition. Over 90 delegates took part in this competition during the Symposium with many 'famous faces' from the Resuscitation World taking part. Laerdal also presented on its exhibition stand a new paediatric simulator (SimJunior) and SimStore.

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